There will come a day when Jamahl Mosley gets to reflect back on his coaching journey that has now landed him in New Orleans.
There were a few reminders Wednesday, particularly text messages from friends, as he prepared to make his debut as the Pelicans’ head coach.
But Mosley isn’t looking back. He’s locked in on the now, trying to breathe life into a team that has been lifeless the past two seasons.
“Obviously the journey changes as far as where you are, what you’ve done,” Mosley said before the season opener against the Indiana Pacers. “It’s great to reflect and look back. The reality is we’re here now. This is the moment we need to be in, celebrating this moment.”
And for most of the game, it looked as if there would be something to celebrate. The Pelicans showed all that grit and toughness that Mosley had talked about since being hired before fizzling out in a 123-120 loss.
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New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson (1) and New Orleans Pelicans Head Coach Jamahl Mosley chat during the first half of the basketball game against the Indiana Pacers at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2026. STAFF PHOTO BY DAVID GRUNFELD
A team whose staple is going to be its defense held the Pacers to just 18 points in the second quarter, outscoring the Pacers by 17 points in the period to build a 66-56 halftime lead. That lead was 92-86 heading into the fourth quarter.
Yves Missi showed that he can be the inside presence the Pels need, finishing with 13 points, 14 rebounds, 5 assists and 3 blocked shots.
“I thought Yves was incredible,” Mosley said. “Absolutely incredible.”
Zion Williamson, who has worked all offseason on improving his 3-point shot, buried his second trey of the night at the halftime buzzer, sending the crowd into a frenzy. Williamson shot just four 3-pointers all last season. He shot that many Wednesday.
Seven different players scored in double figures, showing just how deep the Pels are. It’s so deep that Herb Jones, the team’s best defender, came off the bench for the first time since his rookie season. The Pelicans probably could have at least used him in the closing lineup when they couldn’t get enough stops.
But in the end, a Pacers team that was in the NBA Finals two seasons ago prevailed.
Their two superstars, Tyrese Haliburton and Pascal Siakam, delivered time and time again late. The Pelicans, as has often been the case the last few years, were unable to finish.
“I feel like we are right there and that we are going to make that turn,” Williamson said. “But it’s tough saying it when, respectfully, I feel like we’ve dealt with that the past two or three years. I’ve said it before. It’s hard to win in this league. So if we want to win, that’s just a hurdle we’ve got to get over.”
Pacers coach Rick Carlisle has no doubts Mosley will be able to get the Pelicans over that hump. Mosley worked as an assistant for seven years under Carlisle while he was the head coach of the Dallas Mavericks. Carlisle watched closely what Mosley did the last five years as head coach of the Orlando Magic.
“He totally changed the culture in Orlando,” Carlisle said. “He took that team from being a team that was not known as having any kind of disposition or physicality or that kind of attitude and turned them into a monster defensive team. A very physical team. He’s going to do the same thing here.”
There were some positive signs. The Pels outrebounded the Pacers 50-42. They got to the free throw line 37 times and knocked down 34 of them. Derik Queen gave some valuable minutes off the bench with 10 points and 10 rebounds. But most importantly, the effort was there.
“Guys are buying into how hard they need to play and how they have to communicate with one another,” Mosley said. “This is Game One.”
That’s what fans should remember.
This was just the first of 82 games. Despite it being a game the Pelicans let slip away, it won’t define the season. Eventually though, the Pels will have to figure out who their own Siakam or Haliburton is. They will need someone to take them across the finish line during crunch time.
That’ll be up to Mosley to figure that out. In Orlando, his teams had success in crunch time. In a league where the line between wins and losses is usually razor thin, he’ll need to have that same crunch time success in New Orleans. If he does, he can breathe life into basketball here like he did in Orlando when he got the Magic into the playoffs the past three seasons. For now, Mosley is far too busy to look back on his past success.
“Right now it’s with the Pelicans,” Mosley said. “And (with) this group of guys and these coaches and this organization is where you’re excited to be and the journey you’re about to embark on.”
Ideally, he would have started off with a win. His players would have, too. Especially in a game they feel like they controlled.
“I’m just p--- off that we didn’t get that win,” said Dejounte Murray. “I wanted that win for us, the fans and obviously for him. But we’ll get it sooner than later.”
Mosley will make sure they keep plugging away, much like Wednesday’s halftime act.
Red Panda, who rides a unicycle while flipping bowls from her leg to the top of her head, had a few bowls crash to the floor towards the end of her act. But she stayed persistent as the Smoothie King Center crowd cheered her on.